Display-tray.



No. 812,999. PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

J. J. HOFFMANN. DISPLAY TRAY.

APPLIOATION I'ILED DEC. 7, 1905 W? W I UNITED STATES PATEN orrion.

JACOB J. HOFFMANN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWV JERSEY.

DISPLAY-TRAY.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ACOB J. HOFFMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Trays; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in display trays or boxes, and more particularly to one adapted for holding collar-buttons or the like and for displaying them upon show-cases, store-counters, and similar places.

The object of the invention is, to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character in which the buttons will be exposed to view and well protected and from which they may be quickly and easily removed.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel fea tures of construction, combination, and arrangement of devices, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a display tray or case constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the button-holding guides or slides.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a box or casing, which is preferably of rectangular form, as shown, and consists of a front wall 2, a rear wall 3, and two substantially triangular shaped ends 4. The top of this box or casing is formed by a piece of glass or other transparent material 5, which is removably fitted in grooves 6, formed in the inner faces of the front, as shown. This glass cover is slid into the groove 6 from the rear of the box, and, if desired, a cross-bar may be provided at the rear for retaining the glass in position. {The bottom of the box is formed by a slidingi'tray or drawer 7, which slides in grooves ofguideways 8, formed in the inner faces of the ends 4, as shown. These grooves or guideways 8 are inclined forwardly and downwardly, so that they are parallel with the upper edges of the ends and cause the tray to be supported in an inclined position. The tray 7, which is rectangular in form, has at its rear an upright cross-bar 9, which is adapted to fit into re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December '7, 1905.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Serial No. 290,860.

cesses formed in the rear portions of the ends 7. A suitable knob or finger-piece 10 is pro vided centrally upon the outer face of the cross-piece 9 to permit the tray or drawer 7 to be readily moved out from beneath the glass top 5.

The collar-buttons or similar articles to be displayed in the tray or case are supported in guides 11, secured in parallel relation upon the top of the tray or drawer 7. These slides 11, one of which is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, are preferably in the form of channel-bars formed by stamping and bending a piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, as shown. These supporting-guides have their side edges bent upwardly and inwardly, as at12, over their bottoms 13, so that they overhang the bases of the collar-buttons placed upon them. These overhanging edges 12 prevent the application and removal of the buttons to and from the slides except when the bases of the buttons are brought into alinement with cut-away portions or recesses 14, which are formed at opposite points in the edges 12 adjacent to the upper or outer ends of the guides. The lower or inner ends of the sides 12 are preferably stamped or mashed downwardly, as shown at 15, to close said ends of the guides and prevent the collar-buttons from dropping out of the same. In the bottoms 13 of the supporting-guides are formed centrally-disposed longitudinallyextending grooves or depressions 16, in which adjacent to the ends of the guides are formed apertures 17 to receive screws or the like 18, which secure the guides upon the upper face of the tray or drawer 7. It will be seen that a plurality of collar-buttons or the like may be inserted in each slide through its recessed upper end 14, and all parts of the buttons except the under sides of their bases will be exposed to view. One or more of the buttons may be quickly removed from the case by drawing the sliding tray 7 outwardly and sliding the desired button or buttons rearwardly in the guides and removing them through the recesses 14, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

While I preferably mount the button-supporting guides in a tray or casing of the character described, it will be understood that they may be mounted in a casing or support of any other suitable form and construction.

Various other changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advan tages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A display-support for collar-buttons or the like comprising a base, a lurality of channel-guides arranged in para lel relation upon said base and having their side edges bent upwardly and inwardly to overhang their bottoms, said side edges being bent downwardly to close one end of said guide and having formed in them at opposite points, at the other end of said guide, recesses to permit of the insertion and removal of but tons or the like to and from said guide, and means for securing said guides upon said base.

2. A display support for collar-buttons or the like comprising a boX or casing having a transparent cover, a sliding drawer or tray in said casing, and a plurality of channel-sup porting guides for collar-buttons or the like secured in parallel relation upon the upper face of said tray.

3. A display-support for collar-buttons or the like comprising a box or casing having a transparent cover, a sliding drawer or tray in said casing, and a channel-supporting guide for collar-buttons or the like secured upon the upper faceof said tray and having its side edges bent upwardly and inwardly to overhang its bottom, said side edges being pressed downwardly at one end of the guide to close the same and being formed at the opposite end of the guide with recesses to permit of the insertion and removal of buttons to and from said guide, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 45 nesses.

JACOB J. HOFFMANN. Witnesses:

GEORGE HAMILTON,

JOHN TIMMES. 

